Cabo de Agua / Ras El Ma, Morocco

Ras El Ma — known to Spanish visitors as Cabo de Agua — is a small coastal village on the eastern tip of the Marchica Lagoon sand bar in Nador Province, Morocco, approximately 35 km from Melilla city centre by road. The journey takes between one and one and a half hours, beginning with the Beni Enzar border crossing on foot and continuing by Moroccan taxi from Nador city to Ras El Ma, with a return fare typically negotiated at around 250 MAD (approximately €22). The village occupies the narrow sand spit separating the Mediterranean Sea from the Marchica Lagoon, offering a rare double-shoreline experience: the Mediterranean side presents open surf and wide sandy beach, while the lagoon side offers calm, shallow, and comparatively warmer water that is ideal for swimming and family use. The beach is largely undeveloped — no large hotel complexes or commercial beach clubs line the shore — giving Ras El Ma a raw and uncrowded character even during peak summer months. A handful of simple Moroccan beach cafés serve grilled fish, tagines, and mint tea under shade canopies along the lagoon side of the village. The lighthouse at the northern tip of the cape marks the end of the sand spit and provides a straightforward navigational reference point. Ras El Ma functions well as a half-day excursion from Melilla, particularly when combined with a morning visit to Nador's souk. A midday arrival at the beach allows three to four hours of swimming and lunch before the afternoon return taxi. May through October is the practical beach season, with the lagoon reaching comfortable swimming temperatures from June and the Mediterranean side swimmable from May. The simplicity and coastal scenery make Ras El Ma one of the most rewarding short-distance day trips accessible from Melilla.